The world’s most famous soft drink, Coca-Cola, has just blended their efforts with independent branding agency Dragon Rouge and carefully launched its Signature Mixers, a new range of soft drinks that perfectly complement the bold taste of dark spirits. After some time, dark spirits are making a huge comeback, and what a better way to bring them to the broad public than using Coca-Cola’s unmistakable taste?
As a global first for the soda brand, the company has just gathered a plethora of the world’s most influential and inventive bartenders to establish a brand-new taste of the Coca-Cola Signature Mixers, which have been meticulously designed to blend perfectly with dark spirits. Drinkers are now once again exploring the refined taste of dark spirits, so why not bring them a taste that’s hard to mistake for something else.
Taking inspiration from the brand’s one-century-old heritage as the authentic original mixer, the new range of Coca-Colas is made through real craftsmanship, later adding a bit of skill and passion. It all started with founder and inventor, Dr. Pemberton in 1886. Forward over one decade and the brand asked the bartenders to play with the distinctive Coca-Cola taste and blend it with over 200 contemporary and traditional ingredients to give birth to four distinctive aromas that pair with dark spirits.
Having at their foundation the long-lasting taste of the carbonated soft drink, while being artfully created, the mixers offer a balanced and complex innovative taste experience to drinkers’ palates wrapped in a unique bottle: 1. Coca-Cola Signature Mixers Smoky Notes by Max Venning, 2. Coca-Cola Signature Mixers Spicy Notes by Adriana Chía and Pippa Guy, 3. Coca-Cola Signature Mixers Herbal Notes by Antonio Naranjo, and lastly, 4. Coca-Cola Signature Mixers Woody Notes by Alex Lawrence.
Ana Amura, senior brand manager, Coca-Cola Great Britain explained the complex relationship with popular liquors: “Coca-Cola has always had a synergy with dark spirits and classic cocktails, since the inception of the iconic Cuba Libre in the late 1900s and the iconic Rum & Coke in the early 20th century. Looking at cocktail and mixer trends, Coca-Cola has taken one step further to design a Coca-Cola product inspired range, specifically created to mix with dark spirits. The mixologists took the unique taste of Coca-Cola and reinvented the soft drink to create the most amazing flavor combinations and taste experiences when mixed with dark spirits, opening up this mysterious world to a wider audience.”
The project’s foundation was poured back in 2018 when Coca-Cola invited the mixologists to attend a special workshop held at a secret location. These skilled cocktail-creators were allowed to work with over 200 traditional ingredients and experiment with them. Then, upon completing their recipes, the mixologists invited the audience to taste their new products. As a result, the four most popular blends were chosen to be included in Coca-Cola’s first batch of Mixers range.
Martin Raymond, Co-Founder of The Future Laboratory, which represents a team of trend experts, explained: “Mixology is set to rejuvenate these vintage liquors, with mixers providing a gateway into exploring the seemingly intimidating world of dark spirits, which predominantly have very bold and distinctive tastes.”
Drawing inspiration from the brand’s long history, the Mixers are served in a contemporary Hutchinson glass bottle—a silhouette that pre-dates the iconic Contour style—first used by Coca-Cola in 1894, when the product was served in a bottle, rather than served at a soda fountain. Each batch carries the name of their creator.
The Coca-Cola Mixers carry a bold look, which was created by Dragon Rouge. The agency is also responsible for the brand’s visual identity system that now reflects the craftsmanship of the mixologists who partnered with Coca-Cola for this exciting project. Cheers!
